Finally, a discussion about contractor safety in Afghanistan. Although I have yet to hear any talk about it in the contracting community, as to these specific measures. A big hat tip to Nathan Hodge for writing this and getting it out there. –Matt
U.S. Boosts Security For Afghan Contractors
By Nathan Hodge
August 29th, 2012
The U.S. military has added previously undisclosed security measures for contractors in Afghanistan, amid a wave of insider attacks by Afghan soldiers and police and the continuing withdrawal of coalition troops.
Separately, the top U.S. general’s plane was hit by insurgent fire early Tuesday as it sat on a runway at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. Indirect rounds fired shortly after midnight damaged the C-17 transport plane of Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and another helicopter, according to the U.S.-led coalition.
The general and his entourage weren’t on the plane at the time and weren’t injured, the coalition said, adding the entourage took another military aircraft to leave Afghanistan. The attack came just months after an Afghan civilian tried to drive a stolen vehicle into the U.S. defense secretary’s plane during a similar visit.
In scheduled meetings with U.S. commanders in Afghanistan and Afghan military officials, Gen. Dempsey had focused on the rise in attacks on U.S. military forces by Afghan police and army personnel.
The U.S.-led coalition has also ordered tighter “force protection” measures for contract personnel who are involved in military training, according to Royal Canadian Air Force Maj. Steve Neta, a spokesman for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization training mission in Afghanistan.
A NATO document viewed by The Wall Street Journal outlines a number of extra precautions for contractors, including requiring personnel to travel in more heavily armored convoys with military-compatible communications, GPS trackers and specific weaponry.
Maj. Neta said the coalition, as a matter of policy, doesn’t discuss specific protection measures.
“We did make revisions to a policy relating to our contractors, although this wasn’t precipitated by any one event,” he said. “Force protection is a fundamental element to our operations here and we feel that our personnel understand that measures are implemented in the interest of providing as safe an environment as possible.”
The increased security for contractors was put in place in recent months alongside efforts to increase security for coalition troops. Contractors and coalition troops alike have been increasingly targeted recently by uniformed Afghan soldiers and policemen, in so called “green-on-blue” attacks. Over the past two weeks, at least 10 U.S. troops have been killed in attacks by Afghan troops on their international colleagues.
